After many years of saying "I'm gunna do it one day" I've finally taken the time to list out some of the more quirky aspects of our timeless sport.
As such I have put together a list that I have titled "My Observations on Fishing and Boating".
In our current situation, with green zones, political agendas and the like, I thought it might be nice to share my ideas with a view to putting some of it in perspective. If not, then I hope it provides some temporary respite, at least for a while anyway.
Please feel free to add to the list, I'm very interested to see what ideas come out!
My best regards to one and all,
Steve
§ You'll always need a bigger boat
§ Marine equipment will not fail unless it is at sea
§ A barra will easily spit your lure, unlike a crocodile
§ Happy Moments – well, what can I say?
§ A closed tackle box will never be bumped or kicked
§ To bring on a bite, pour a cup of coffee or pick up another rod
§ When fighting a fish, enthusiasm is inversely proportional to breaking strain
§ Squid always have ink in reserve - always
§ Fish that are biting through 180lb mono will not touch the lightest wire trace
§ You will always find the blocked sinkers at night
§ There is room in the boat for a fisherman or an eel, but not both
§ Large fish are more attracted to boats without gaffs or landing nets
§ ‘Fillet and release’ is not a recognised environmental strategy
§ There is no fool-proof way of remembering to put the bungs in
§ All fishing and boating tasks are more difficult with an audience
§ Chaos Theory is the result of studying how and when trailer lights work
§ A shag can fly just faster than your WOT (wide-open throttle) speed
§ The more expensive the propeller, the easier it will find bottom
§ The largest prawn can escape through the smallest hole in a net
§ Most of the time swell is not really all that swell
§ Lures catch more fisherman than fish, and a good number of trees
§ The wind will always come from the wrong direction – regardless
§ Warning someone about a dangerous spine often results in being stuck by it
§ Landing net handles are invariably six inches too short or three feet too long
§ Sand-crab claws can exceed the speed of light if a finger is exposed
§ A blunt knife and a sharp knife are equally dangerous in the wrong hands
§ Trolling more than one line is really just asking for trouble
§ Putting a mud-crab in an ice slurry will send him to sleep, along with your hand
§ Towbars are always accurately positioned at shin-height
§ Equally, bow-sprits tend to be aligned perfectly with one’s forehead
§ Expensive items sink like rocks but rubbish will always float next to the boat
§ Never turn your back on the waves, even for a second, they just can’t be trusted
§ The monster fish will always choose the lightest outfit on which to strike
§ Hooks that fall from a fish’s mouth will need to be cut from your best t-shirt or shorts
§ Compared with those who go fishing and boating, Murphy was a rank amateur